


In Sickness

by Jazzy_Kandra



Category: Cosmere - Brandon Sanderson, SANDERSON Brandon - Works, Stormlight Archive - Brandon Sanderson
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-22
Updated: 2020-02-22
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:00:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22843684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jazzy_Kandra/pseuds/Jazzy_Kandra
Summary: The Pure Lake Plague (that is, the common cold) has finally come to the Knights Radiant…and spreads. Post-OB.
Relationships: Dalinar Kholin/Navani Kholin, Shallan Davar/Adolin Kholin
Comments: 3
Kudos: 25





	In Sickness

Shallan was hit first.

It all started with a cute little squeak. A sound Adolin had become increasingly familiar with whenever Shallan got the urge to draw and a bit of charcoal dust went up her nose, and she would let out a sneeze.

As was her wought, she was sketching something. Adolin looked over her shoulder, curious. It looked to be…a picture of Kaladin and his beard in a bridgeman vest, emphasizing his muscular biceps and forearms…and torso and legs. Adolin cut down the beast of envy, unsure if he was more jealous of his friend or his wife. It was probably Kaladin, that man was storming gorgeous.

For a guy that was...not that he liked Kaladin as more than a friend. Really.

But he was every type of gorgeous nonetheless. (1)

“You’re…” She squeaked again. Sniffed. “Standing…” Another cute squeaky noise. Adolin tilted his head. “In my…”

This time it came out as a mighty sneeze, blowing charcoal dust everywhere and smudging the drawing she was working on. Veil let out a curse. Unscrewing the lid on the table-lamp, he handed her a few gemstones brimming with Stormlight. Drawing on them, she glowed briefly, then frowned. Sniffed…

And sneezed…

“Isn’t it supposed to heal everything?” he asked, reaching into his coat pocket and handing her a plain white handkerchief. “Even…even…”

She blew her nose furiously. “The plague?”

Adolin nodded, feeling a strange chill wash over him. He didn’t really know how Stormlight healing worked, only that he wished he had it. It would be nice to get rid of cuts, bruises, and inconvenient broken bones without having to ask Renarin, or worse, Lift, for help. He felt useless these days, really. All he was now was a useless soldier with powerless plate and a dead blade. He felt a hint of anger from said sword.

 _Sorry Maya_ , he thought instinctively.

“I…I don’t know.” Her shoulders slumped, looking worn and defeated already from this terrifying sniffling disease. Despite that it hadn’t really helped much earlier, she sucked in more Stormlight. Pattern buzzed on her skirt in response. “Maybe we could ask…” Sneeze. “Jasnah.”

He gulped nervously at the idea. Stormfather, his cousin, especially now as Queen, was downright intimidating.

“Maybe I can. I…guess, get some rest.” He gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead, then she slumped off to bed, falling asleep before she hit the pillow. “Rest well, gemheart.”

***

"You!"

Adolin blinked, surprised to hear Jasnah shouting, anger painting her voice red…? Wait, since when did he start using artsy things to describe stuff? He guessed all that time spent around Shallan was just rubbing off, and that, indeed, was wonderful.

The voice he heard responding to Jasnah was not so wondrous, however.

"Oh, yes, me!"

Damnation, the Queen’s Wit had returned. He guessed the shouting did make sense. That man was storming annoying.

Adolin shuffled into the library, instantly feeling intimated surrounded by so many books. Renarin was standing to the side speaking with his strange spren. Dalinar and Navani sat at a table, reading a book together and holding hands, his aunt sometimes correcting…something his father had done wrong. That was so unmanly, couldn’t they at least do that type of crem in private? Adolin didn’t care if father learned to read like some ardent; after all, Zahel could do so, and he was the best swordsman in all of Roshar. Still, this whole reading thing was just...

Embarrassing. It was why he never came to the library just in case his father was doing that. Or worse, writing something.

Dalinar wrote down a note.

Flushed, Adolin turned to flee, then Jasnah spoke, reminding him of his mission. Right, he was here to figure out how to make Shallan feel better. Even though he was otherwise useless these days, he could at least speak with his cousin.

“You left for six months on some strange task and returned to us with a spren, and now, you expect us to welcome you into the order with open arms–”

“Jasnah.” Dalinar raised a hand as though such a thing might halt his niece.

“–you don’t deserve to be a Radiant.”

" _Jasnah_."

She pinned Dalinar with her sharp gaze. The man didn’t flinch. Storms. Even Adolin feared his cousin when she gave him that look.

“We need all the Radiants we can get,” he reminded her. “Even the less likely ones.”

Now was as good a time as any, Adolin decided. "Jasnah?"

Now, she glared at Adolin, despite that he definitely didn’t deserve it! He did, indeed, flinch a little.

“Ah…,” Adolin began, swallowing a bit of saliva. It was oddly thicker than usual. “Shallan…she has…she has the plague. Stormlight doesn’t seem to help, do you know why?”

All heads turned to him, worried, concerned, even fear alight in their eyes. They had all heard about the plague ravaging the Pure Lake, but the fact that it had come to Urithru was unexpected. Frightening, even. Especially now that it seemed Radiants were also afflicted by the strange and dreadful disease that had taken the Pure Lakers by storm. The only person not scared by this news was Wit, as was usual per his vile humor, he chuckled dryly to himself instead. That just made the tension in the room worse.

Jasnah pointedly ignored the man this time, much to Adolin's relief...but her answer was not. “I’m not sure…”

The room felt suddenly far colder than it had before despite that it was now summer. Adolin rubbed his arms.

“It is not my area of expertise, Adolin.”

“Well, it’s Stormlight. You’ve been a Radiant forever and, I thought, maybe," he bowed his head then lowered his voice, “do you think she might die?”

“Did you see any rotspren near her?” Adolin whirled around, a bit surprised to see Kaladin standing there, leaning back against the wall, Shardspear out.

“No? Is that important?”

Jasnah raised a single curious eyebrow at bridgeboy. He doubted she didn't know whatever Kaladin was about to disclose, but he was certain she was...surprised he knew such things and felt he had authority to speak on these manners. Honestly, Adolin was a bit shocked too.

“My father sometimes dealt with similar plagues and I have some training in the field,” he said in way of explanation. Oh right, he had forgotten that…several times now. Oops. “Usually, the best thing to do is to give them is plenty of liquids, make sure she rests, and watch for rotspren. Taking in Stormlight might shorten the length of the disease, but we never had it as a form of curative, so I can’t be certain. And…”

"And?"

“You should probably avoid people, at least for the next week.”

“Me?” he asked. “I feel fine. I could take you on right now if you want!”

Dalinar flattened his lips, exchanging a glance with his wife. Jasnah rolled her eyes. Kaladin tapped Syl’s shaft with his fingers. Right. He probably couldn’t actually beat a Windrunner in a duel even if he was still, definitely, the better swordsman.

“It’s most likely you have it too,” Kaladin said with a shrug. “No, Syl, that’s not funny.”

“Adolin, you best get going,” it was father who spoke now, stern as ever. “Care for your wife.”

He nodded, more than happy to leave behind the library and all its books. Hopefully, Kaladin was wrong, the last thing he wanted was for that to happen.

As Kaladin predicted, it did, just not to Adolin. Instead, it spread quickly to the rest of the Knights and throughout Urithiru. After Shallan, Jasnah fell ill. Then Dalinar had come to a meeting so sick Adolin worried he had gotten drunk again. Next was Kaladin and all of Bridge Four and the rest of the Windrunners. Soon, after that, it seemed that anyone else who was either a Square or a Knight was ill for the next week, leaving only Adolin, Lift (whom was quite a bit more strange than the rest), Zahel (just plain luck, certainly), and Szeth (who was now in prison) the only ones standing among the Order. Even Wit got ill (served him right), and muttered about how he was literally dying despite that his seemed milder than the rest of them. (2)

But that week, caring for those who had come down with the plague, Adolin felt far more useful than he had in months. Not…that he would tell anyone, of course.

**Author's Note:**

> (1). Denial, thy name is. Adolin does like Kaladin in that way, but he just isn't willing to admit it...yet.
> 
> (2). Hoid got the manflu...also, Zahel wasn't lucky, you are, Adolin.


End file.
